Skip to main content

Are dispatchers creating any value?


How is it that we have run service businesses for years with relegating control of the majority of revenue generators to a reasonably fluid position?  When you think about the traditional dispatcher / scheduler (coordinator) these positions may be non-career based workers or "stepping stones" to another position.  Yet the movement, allocation, scheduling, favoritism (unfortunate), subjective points of reference, of your valuable field workers is dumped in their laps.  Sure, checks and balances exist within many organizations with supervisors, service and ops managers, etc. however, the moment to moment ground battle is led by these front line workers.  Please make no mistake, these comments are not focused on the individuals performing these often difficult jobs, instead they are aimed directly at the archaic process, come on folks it is 2016!



Unfortunately, like many things stuck between the old fashioned approach and the anticipation of things to come, attempts have been made to "optimize" these steps within the operation.  In many cases the solution was increasing the worker to dispatcher/scheduler ratios, only exasperating an already very flawed approach.  We have inadvertently forced these coordinators to spend an inordinate amount of time on the phone with the workers and not the customers!  Crazy, right?  Instead consider leveraging web service based data to contribute into logical engines to assist in the selection of the best possible worker, objective points of measurement designed to increase productivity and enhance customer value.  I encourage you to focus on methods which compel behavioral change and not just add logistics data on top of a transactional work order management system.  Of course much easier said than done; the tools are available and can turn this random process into predicable and profit driving action.  The best news is that your dispatchers / schedulers can once again serve as your best client advocates while you regain the ability to flex to your business demands in a proactive way. 



Next post:  blending internal and external labor is great; however, can you trust the subcontractor?
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

suggesting is NOT selling

People and companies want to buy from people that they trust.   The individual which possesses the broadest set of knowledge will gain the most credibility and as a result yield high levels of trust.   When I was in the field I definitely had the ear of the customer and for the most part discussed areas that needed improvement or replacement. At no moment was I ever, at least in my mind, selling. Instead, as I think back on those days, I believe I was simply "suggesting". Take an immediate need, add in a trusted advisor and a credible suggestion, you will most likely get a sale. However, this is not selling. From my non-salesman perspective I would sum up the following related to the sales process; sales is not a single event but instead a sequence of connection points which create a positive experience that leads to a purchase . Over the years I've been fortunate to have known many different types of salespeople in different industries and I believe that they a...
Post a Comment
Read more

In$pired

As the steam from Avid Andy's coffee fogged his glasses on this crisp January morning, he reflected on last year and thought enthusiastically about the year ahead.   Sometimes the noise of business is deafening, we rarely take the time to contemplate our moves, instead are often thrown one direction or another.   Hey, face it, if you are reading posts to gain perspective you fall in the group of folks who pride themselves as obsequious hoop-jumpers.   We live to help others and expect that all of those around us feel the same way.   I just love Influential Irene.   Okay, it is out in the open, she is an inspiration for me and so many others.   Irene reminds folks every year, without fail, these three statements which she fondly refers to as "the punchline" (although this is no joke).   Businesses, of any size, will be successful if they remember that it is people that make a company.   Put this advice into practice, today: Sincerity |...
Post a Comment
Read more

focus on your annuity base, come on man..

Stick with what you know and repeat often. When I think about maintenance, regardless of type of contract, I think about consistency, consistency, consistency. The motivation behind writing this post is to encourage you to either build or bolster your existing maintenance base, here are some things to consider: most maintenance contracts should yield between 5% and 7% additional revenue above and beyond the contract value.   Building trust between you and your clients organization will result in additional service activity. Full risk contracts, or those where you were charging one flat amount and taking all of the financial risk, can be profitable.   Watch out for the age of the equipment, service call track record, and customer disposition pull-through opportunities can be constrained with full risk contracts unless the scope of work is very specific. This can be a bit of a slippery slope. The perception of a...
Post a Comment
Read more